1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting and to a connector provided therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,743 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-190227 disclose a terminal fitting with a rectangular tube that has a front end for receiving a tab. A resilient contact extends in forward and backward directions in the rectangular tube and contacts the tab inserted into the rectangular tube. A locking hole is formed in a plate of the rectangular tube at a side of the resilient contact opposite the tab. The terminal fitting is inserted into a cavity of a connector housing and is retained therein by the engagement of the locking hole with a resiliently deformable lock provided at an inner wall of the cavity.
The resilient contact is accessible through the locking hole from the outside of the rectangular tube. Thus, there is a possibility that external matter may intrude into the rectangular tube through the locking hole and may displace the resilient contact sufficiently to plastically deform a support of resilient deformation of the resilient contact while narrowing the tab entrance space. As a result, frictional resistance between the resilient contact and the tab may be increased.
Consideration may be given to forming the resilient contact with projections that project out along the width direction from the opposite left and right edges of the resilient contact. The projections could engage edges of locking holes formed in side plates of the rectangular tube. The engagement of the projections with the locking holes limits the amount of displacement of the resilient contact that can be caused by the intrusion of external matter through the locking hole.
However, the locking holes can reduce the strength of the side plates and hence can reduce the strength of the entire rectangular tube.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to improve a terminal fitting and a connector provided therewith, and particularly to prevent plastic deformation of a resilient contact piece caused by external matter that enters through a locking hole and/or to avoid a reduction in the strength of a rectangular tube portion.